Proximity
by TheBluePill
Summary: Tori's always thought the world was very black and white, where fantasy and reality were two totally different things, until two new students show up and challenge everything she thought she knew. Jori/Candre
1. Proximity

**Disclaimer: Victorious and all of its associated copyrights are not my property and I stake no claim to them.**

 ** **A/N: After loads of writer's block and a wonderfully timed dead hard drive, I'm glad to finally have something out. I came up with this idea after stumbling on a wiki page. Hope you guys like it.  
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* * *

"Hey, have you heard about the transfers we got?" Andre asked as he held open the door.

I looked at him, eyebrow raised, "Transfers?"

He followed me to my locker, "Yeah, Beck talked to them apparently. He told Rob and I about it last night."

"But nobody bothered to tell me?" I frowned.

"I just did," he grinned at me. "Anyway, apparently they're like, I don't know, some type of English. Claimed they were sisters, though Beck said they look nothing alike. The one girl has red hair and the other one's is, like, black."

I snorted, "New Addams family additions?"

He shrugged, "Maybe, never know with these things. They seem pretty sketchy but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt."

I noticed the hallways getting slightly quieter, and we both looked around to see what was going on. At the main entrance, two girls were standing, seeming to contemplate their surroundings. The quite obviously artificially red-headed one twirled a bit of hair in her fingers, her other hand on her hip. Her "sister" was a bit taller, and stood with her arms crossed.

"Dang," Andre whispered next to me.

I could've sworn there was an ever so slight smile on the red-head's lips, but it disappeared almost immediately. Her eyes seemed to pause on Andre for several seconds before moving on, while the other studied me closely. The two were strangely in synch with each other as they suddenly turned and walked toward the office.

Andre spoke the words we were both thinking, "Man, those two are freaky and attractive at the same time!"

"Oh, they're here, cool," Beck stated as he walked up next to us.

"You never said they were that attractive, man!" Andre whisper-yelled.

Beck smiled sheepishly and shrugged, "Sorry? They weren't very chatty, honestly...just sort of cordial. They have a weird knack for finishing each other's sentences though. It's like that twin telepathy thing."

"They seriously look _nothing_ alike," I said.

He nodded, "I know. Maybe they're like, half-sisters or something. Come on, we should get to class."

I started to follow him, while Andre seemed to hang back a moment, probably hoping to catch a glance of them leaving.

I didn't see the two again until lunch, when Beck invited them to sit with us. They had weirdly intense looks on their faces as Beck introduced each of us, and I noticed again the dark haired one's eyes lingered on me a few seconds longer than her sister. "Guys, this is Cat and Jade. They just moved here from..."

"England," Cat finished for him, a warm smile on her face.

"Right," he smiled back, "You wanna tell us anything about yourselves?"

Jade quickly, though tactfully redirected his question, "I'm sure we're far less interesting than you."

"I am sorta curious why ya'll don't have an accent," Andre piped up.

"We learned your way of speaking when we arrived," Cat smiled at him, then seemed to seamlessly slip back into an English accent I couldn't identify, "Though if you prefer, I could speak as I'm used to."

Andre swallowed nervously, "Yeah, yeah, whatever's cool with you."

I grabbed my purse and looked for some cash and pulled out what I had, "Hey, anyone have a dollar I could borrow? I'm one short for a burrito."

Beck looked at the bills in my hand, "What? Burritos are only two bucks."

"I only have..." I stopped and looked down, realizing I was holding two dollars in my hand, rather than the one and spare change I thought I had. "Wow, guess I didn't get enough sleep last night. I could've sworn I only had one."

I came back a few minutes later with a freshly acquired burrito and sat down at the tail end of Andre talking about his new song. "But yeah if you wanna hear it I can give you a copy."

"I'd _love_ that!" Cat exclaimed.

"It's been like this ever since you left," Beck whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear.

I chuckled and started to eat, pausing a few times to answer questions or comment on something. Lunch passed more or less uneventfully after that, though one thing that seemed off was never once did the "sisters" ever look at or speak to each other, despite being totally in synch. Maybe twin telepathy was a thing.

Later on in the day, I was sitting in a class shared only by Jade, the first time I'd seen her by herself. She offered a small smile, but nothing else. Around fifteen minutes into the class, we were given an assignment, and I realized I had nothing to write with. I turned to ask the girl behind me for one when she replied.

"You need two?"

My head snapped back to my desk, where a pencil sat right on top of the notebook. I scratched the back off my head and offered a meek, "sorry," back to her. I felt like I was losing my mind. I was _certain_ I had no pencil. Where did it come from?

I glanced back at Jade, who sat a whole two rows and five seats away from me, though she seemed focused on her own notebook. I felt silly and was glad she hadn't seen this particular instance of me going crazy.

* * *

"I don't know, Beck, I think I'm just gonna go home and sleep for as long as I can. Maybe I'm just sleep deprived."

"Definitely wouldn't hurt to come at it with a fresh mind."

I sighed and leaned against my locker, "There's gotta be an explanation, right?"

"I'm all for the sleep deprivation theory, but I guess it could also be someone just put a pencil on your desk while you were turned around."

"What about the money for lunch?"

He shrugged, "Money is easy to count wrong."

I wanted to argue the point further, but felt there wasn't anything else I could really add to it. We said our goodbyes and I headed out to the parking lot. As I fumbled with my keys to unlock my car, a voice from beside me nearly made me jump out of my skin.

"Hey."

My hand flew to my heart and I looked over at her, "Jade! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

She looked almost amused, "Apologies. May I ask if being this scattered is a daily thing?"

I sighed and rubbed my temples, "No, I just haven't been getting enough sleep I guess. Memory's getting away from me. Maybe it's you and Cat, you're bad luck or something."

A smile spread across her face, "Bad luck? I've often been told the contrary."

"All I know is that before you arrived, my brain worked just fine!"

Jade stayed calm despite my rather uncalled for outburst, which I immediately felt bad for. "I feel like we got off on the wrong foot. My sister would never willingly bring harm to someone, and I certainly have no reason to...especially not you."

I raised an eyebrow, "What makes me so special?"

She smirked and dodged the question, "I'd like to get to know you better in the future. Perhaps you should get some sleep though, I doubt you'll be able to unlock your car with a pencil."

I looked down at my hand, where instead of I thought my keys were, I was now holding the same pencil that had been on my notebook just a few hours earlier. Once I looked back up to her, she was gone.

"What the heck is wrong with me?" I groaned.

* * *

The next morning I was sitting on one of the tables in the Asphalt Cafe reading over some notes, when I suddenly became aware of someone sitting next to me.

"English test?"

I could've sworn once she spoke I nearly went airborne. "Stop doing that! At this rate I'll need a pacemaker before I'm 20!"

Jade smirked, looking entirely unapologetic, and my heartbeat quickly slowed to a normal pace. "Did you sleep well?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah I did. Thanks for asking." I closed my notebook and tried to hide the blush she seemed to cause naturally. I couldn't possibly-

"Think you can spare the time to tell me a little more about yourself?" She asked.

I felt the urge to look at her, "What do you want to know?"

She shrugged passively, "Anything you want me to know and think is worth sharing."

"Anything?" She nodded. "Uh, well, I live with my parents and sister, she goes here too. I want to be a singer, I hate math, I love music. My favorite color is purple and I love animals."

"What's your favorite animal?"

"Favorite house pet or wild animal?"

"Both."

I rested my chin on my hand and thought a moment, "Probably dogs and panthers."

"Panthers?" She raised an eyebrow, an amused smile on her face, "Why?"

"I don't know," I smiled back shyly, "They're beautiful and elegant."

She turned her body slightly to face me, "So how come you like dogs better than cats?"

I frowned, "Because cats have attitude. You're a dog's favorite thing every minute of the day. Doesn't everyone dream of being loved that way?"

"That's a good point," she said, her eyes focused on me.

"I have a question for you now," she smiled, almost as if she knew what I was going to say. "Why are you so interested in me?"

Her smile widened and she hopped off the table, "What's life without a little mystery?"

"That's not fair!" I whined as she walked away.

* * *

"There's something off about her," I slammed my locker shut, "Both of them!"

"It's taken you this long to figure that out?" Robbie asked.

Beck once again played the voice of reason, "Come on, guys, they're from an entirely different continent. Things are different for them."

"Off or not, I'm really digging Cat. I think I'm gonna ask her out," Andre announced proudly.

I sat down in my favorite chair as they all followed after me, "She seems pretty into you."

Andre looked over his shoulder at me, "Sorta like Jade's got the hots for you."

I felt heat rush to my face and I immediately shook my head, "What? No, no, there's no way."

"No offense, Tor, but I don't think with the way your brain has been working lately that you have a valid opinion on that matter," Robbie joked earning him a slap on the arm from Beck.

"I'm not crazy!" I quickly defended, but felt defeated, "There has to be _something_ going on, right? I'm not crazy."

Andre put his feet up on the edge of the stage, "Hey, maybe there's some divine being who thinks it's hilarious watching you lose your mind."

I threw my hands up, "I'm just going to pretend it never happened, okay? Sleep deprivation, all it was."

"If you say so," Andre shrugged.

* * *

As much as I wanted to blame sleep deprivation for the all the weird stuff, the instances just kept piling up. Small enough to be quickly written off, but enough to make me seriously start to question my own sanity. Weeks passed, then months, as the weird things started to just blend into reality, and I barely questioned them anymore. Jade would ask me all sorts of questions any free moment she got. By this point I was sure she knew me better than any of the guys did.

I learned that one of her favorite things were walks through parks or on the beach late at night. According to her, it was comforting to be alone surrounded by nature. Though, the alone part seemed to be flexible, as more than once, she'd invite me along. My nervousness about being alone with her in a dark and deserted environment slowly dissipated as she never acted much differently than she did at school. Through the late night walks and long conversations, I couldn't help but start to feel an attraction toward her.

At the end of the school day, over two months after they moved, I was getting my things together when she appeared next to my locker, her ever-present smirk on her face, "Hey."

"Are you a ghost, is that it? Or are you a ninja? A ninja ghost!"

Jade chuckled, "Have you been sleeping badly again?"

"No, no, no," I slammed my locker shut and stuck a finger in her chest, "The crazy is all you, dear."

"Well if I'm crazy too, then I guess we're perfect for each other," she teased as she leaned against the lockers next to mine. The comment didn't make me nearly as shy as it would've months ago, likely since I'd gotten used to it.

"Guess so, shall we start planning a wedding?"

"We should probably start with a date," she smiled, though something about the statement differentiated it from all the other jokes.

I raised an eyebrow, "Seriously?"

I noticed a flash of red beyond where she was standing and saw Cat at her locker with Andre next to her.

"Yeah, I'm serious. Would you be up for it?"

I felt an intense, almost overwhelming attraction to her that seemed to just come out of nowhere. While I did feel I was falling for her, I'd never felt it so strongly up until that moment. I involuntarily reached out to touch her arm as a bright smile lit up my face, "I'd love to! Where do you want to go?"

She seemed to pause and study me before her jaw tightened and she forced a smile, "Actually, I'm really sorry, I kind of forgot that I have something else tonight. Perhaps another time?"

The incredibly strong emotions I'd felt only seconds earlier seemed to completely disappear and I was left with the same simple desire to be with her as I had for the past several weeks. My brows furrowed in confusion and I noticed across the hall, Cat was clutching her chest as she tried to hide the pain evident on her face.

"Oh my god, Cat, are you okay?" I called over to her.

She nodded and let her hand fall to her side, as if nothing had ever happened. "I'm fine, nothing to worry about!"

Despite my confusion, I looked back to Jade to figure out what was going on, but she was gone. I looked all around, but saw no sign of her anywhere. Even Cat seemed to disappear once Andre and I were both distracted. He crossed the hall and stood next to me.

"Alright, what on earth just happened?"

"I'm trying to figure it out too," I sighed.

He looked worried and confused, "She looked like she was havin' a heart attack or something, then she was fine."

"Yeah, well, Jade asked me on a date and then took it back, so I don't really know what to tell you."

"I'm starting to think my grandma isn't so bad now," Andre joked. "I'm gonna head home. I've had enough of this particular crazy for one day."

* * *

My mind was racing that night. I tried to sort out what had happened earlier in the day, but came up blank. There was definitely something different about those two, and not knowing what it was ate away at me. On a whim, I grabbed my keys and drove to the first place I thought of. As I parked in the lot adjacent to the beach, I saw one lone silhouette against the moonlight. I thanked my lucky stars I was right and headed toward her.

"How'd you know I was here?" She asked quietly.

"Lucky guess," I shrugged and held out my hand to her, "You wanna take a walk?"

She avoided my hand, but stood up anyway, "Are you going to ask a bunch of questions now?"

I smiled back at her, choosing to ignore the weird gesture. "I think I've earned my turn by now."

"There's a whole world of things you don't understand," Jade sighed. She shoved her hands in her pockets and looked up at the sky as we walked. "If I had my way, you'd never know."

"Know what?"

"Cat and I aren't actually sisters," she finally said after several seconds of silence.

I chuckled, "That much we already knew. Why'd you lie though?"

She glanced over at me, "Because the truth hurts."

"And that is?"

"We're both orphans. We were _adopted_ by the same man."

I nodded, "So...how'd you end up here of all places?"

"Interest in the performing arts. Cat has always had a particular way with people."

"You both do," I told her. "It's kind of hard to ignore how hypnotic you are sometimes."

She had a faint smile on her face, "Yeah, we cheat sometimes."

"Cheat?"

"This is weird." Jade stopped walking and stared out toward the ocean, "I've never had to explain this to anyone before. Especially not..." She stopped, then seemed to decide the last part was better left unsaid. "It's hard to find the right words."

I stood next to her and smiled, "What are you, like, vampires?" The look on her face told me my teasing hit a little too close to home. I swallowed my nervousness, "Are you?"

She slowly shook her head, "No, we aren't. Though I couldn't honestly tell you if we're better or worse than that. I guess it depends how you view vampires."

I couldn't decide how to feel at that point. On one hand, I felt relieved knowing I wasn't crazy, and that these two actually _were_ different. Exactly _how_ different still seemed to be up in the air. My mind suddenly snapped to all of the weird things that only started happening once they came to the school.

"Are you scared to tell me?" I asked cautiously.

"Yeah, a little bit, I guess," she admitted.

I bit my lip, "If it helps, you could talk about Cat first. I don't know if it's any easier to talk about someone else's weirdness."

"It might be." She thought about it for a while then stated, "Earlier today, when I tried to ask you on a date, you suddenly felt an incredibly strong, almost unnatural attraction to me."

"Yes...though if I'm being honest, it wasn't far from the truth."

A smile spread across her face, "That makes me feel a little better. That attraction you felt though, that was her."

I raised an eyebrow, "So, what, she can manipulate emotions?"

"Among other things."

I couldn't help but ask, "What other things?"

"Her powers are mental. Nearly anything achievable by the brain is something she can do at will. Switching between accents, or even languages on a whim is just one of them. She was fluent in twenty-seven languages by the age of 14. By now you'd be hard-pressed to find one she doesn't know. She can manipulate, project, replicate the emotions of any living being." She paused and shook her head, "I wasn't very happy when she attempted to persuade you to feel the way I wanted you to. I wanted that to be of your own accord."

The information was a lot to process. Up until that moment I'd never even imagined this sort of thing was anything other than fiction. While I wanted so badly to ask about her, I kept the topic on Cat. "Can she read minds?"

Jade nodded, "Yes, it's one of her favorites. She always loves that she never has to _guess_ what someone is thinking. Personally, I think she abuses it, but speaking out on it would make me a hypocrite."

On a whim, I first asked the question I thought of in my mind. When she stayed silent, I asked out loud, "Can you read minds?"

"You just tried to ask me in your thoughts, didn't you?" She smiled over at me, "I can, but with greater limitations. For example, I've never once heard your thoughts."

"Why?"

"It's more of a...physical thing. Cat's is mental, which means she can hear someone's thoughts from across the room. Meanwhile, I have to actually be touching the person."

I thought back over the past several weeks, and couldn't remember a single time in which she had touched me, or allowed me to touch her. "You didn't want to," I stated.

She shook her head, "No. For whatever reason, I respected your privacy more than anyone else's."

She offered nothing further, and I stayed silent as well as I tried to sort through all of the information. One thought that kept plaguing me, I finally had the courage to ask, although I was fairly certain of the answer.

"The things that kept appearing when I needed them. The money the first day you came, the pencil, keys, that was you, wasn't it?"

It took a long time before she was finally willing to answer. "Yeah. I don't know why I did it. Maybe I wanted to help, maybe I just liked the look on your face when you got confused over it."

"Why would you like that?"

Jade shrugged, "It was cute."

I blushed as she said it. My curiosity finally took over and I asked, "So what else can you do?"

Her answer caught me off guard, "The shorter list is of things I can't do. While Cat is limited to the mental aspect of the world, my limitations come more in the form of...proximity and, say, morals."

"Morals?"

She took a small step closer to me, but stayed silent. As I watched across the ocean, I noticed the waves getting stronger, to the point they towered over us and nearly reached the point we were standing. Then, as suddenly as it had began, the waves receded. "I learned from a very young age that just because I _can_ doesn't mean I _should_."

I struggled to wrap my mind around it all, "You said you're limited by proximity?"

"Which is why I stood closer to you. I don't know why, but I'm stronger the closer I am to you. I've never felt stronger than I have being next to you." She held out her hand to me, "I can show you, if you trust me."

I looked down at her hand, then up to her eyes. She seemed vulnerable, despite all she was capable of, or at least claimed to be capable of. I took a deep breath and held her hand, "I trust you."

"Close your eyes," she whispered. I did as she instructed, and less than a second later, I felt wind in my hair and clothes. It felt colder, and I was almost scared to open my eyes again. "Don't be scared," her voice came from directly behind me. "I won't let anything happen to you."

I slowly opened my eyes and nearly fainted. If not for the wind and temperature, I could've sworn it was only an illusion. As I looked out on the skyline of Los Angeles from above, I knew the only possible place I could be standing was atop the tallest building in the city, the Grand Wilshire Tower.

"How..." was the only thing I was able to say.

"Like I said," she walked around calmly to stand in front of me, "There's a whole world of things you don't understand."

After being scared of heights my entire life, I looked down to the lights below and suddenly didn't feel anywhere near the same amount of fear as I expected. I felt calm, and it occurred to me that she was probably the one doing it.

"I am." I looked up at her, then realized she was still holding my hand. Right, mind reader. She smirked.

"So is this how you usually woo your crushes?" I teased her.

She shook her head, "You're the first person I've ever told who wasn't gifted in their own way. Supernaturally, at least."

I let go of her hand and asked, "So you really do like me?"

I knew now that she wasn't capable of knowing what I was thinking, and felt better that we were on equal ground. Even if our ground was 1,100 feet high.

"Yeah, I do." She smiled a little, "I'd have to guess at this point you like me a little bit too, even if as a friend."

I waved my hands in the air, "Without all that emotion manipulation mumbo-jumbo, I do. More than a friend, but definitely not quite as much as Cat wanted me to, apparently. Not yet at least."

"Not yet," she repeated, her smile widening, "I can deal with that."

I smiled back, "Now, if you'd be so kind to put us back on the ground, that would be lovely. But first, if you don't mind," I took her hand so my intentions were clear.

"Don't you think if you wanted bragging rights, it should make sense with an explanation that doesn't involve superpowers?"

I shrugged, "Wouldn't have to tell anyone."

"Ohh," she smirked mischievously and raised her eyebrows, "Secret romance. Juicy."

I shook my head and took a step closer, "No, just secret first kiss."

I kissed her with a passion all my own, and she returned in kind. As bizarre as the whole situation was, I couldn't help but feel ecstatic as she kissed me. It only took a few more seconds for us both to realize just how much more bizarre it could get, when I realized I was hearing thoughts that weren't my own.

She pulled back, astonishment written all over her face.

"What the hell? You just read my mind."

* * *

 **A/N: I haven't really decided yet whether or not I want to continue this. It mostly depends on if there's interest in more of this. Let me know!**


	2. Choices

**Disclaimer: Victorious and all of its associated copyrights are not my property and I stake no claim to them.**

* * *

She expected it. She spent every moment since that night in apprehension and yet, the fire in Tori's eyes caught her off guard. Fear wasn't something she knew well, but she could feel the dread and pain wrap itself around her heart and squeeze like a snake with its prey.

"Babe, could you give us a moment?" Cat turned to Andre as Tori approached. He seemed hesitant, but nodded anyway and headed off to his first class.

Cat had heard the stories, she'd seen many of the meetings firsthand, but she knew, she could tell this wasn't supposed to happen. She tried her hardest to block out the destructive thoughts from the two.

The second Tori was within reach, her hand met Jade's shoulder and pushed her back against the lockers she stood by, "What did you do to me?!"

The snake gripped her tighter, "Tori, I tried to tell you-"

"Don't give me that! I don't know what kind of voodoo bullshit this is, but you better stop it right now!"

Cat scanned the crowd of baffled onlookers lining the halls and shook her head. She grabbed both by their arms and steered them toward the empty classroom across the hall. Once the door shut, she turned her attention toward the crowd.

Jade knew she was strong, but it didn't matter. She felt small in the presence of this uncharacteristic fury. She wanted nothing more to just curl up in the corner and hope it would pass but she knew better. The fear wasn't her own, just as the anger wasn't Tori's.

She stuck out her arm to intercept Tori's pacing and pulled her over to the wall. She needed to calm Tori down, but Jade knew one wrong move could lead to disaster. She'd promised herself over and over that she'd never impose herself onto Tori, but she wasn't sure what else to do.

"Tori, please," Several small cracks appeared in the brick as Jade struggled to fight against unfamiliar strength, "Tori, listen to me, please. I know you're angry at me, I know, but you have to try to stay calm."

"Calm?" Tori snarled back. Even the eyes weren't hers anymore. "You want me to be calm after what you did to me? How dare you!"

A loud thud echoed in the room as Tori was momentarily able to overpower Jade, but was swiftly held back in place. Jade knew they were daring the wall to cave in.

" _Antonio will be here soon,"_ she heard in her mind as Cat quickly slipped through the door and locked it behind herself. She assessed the situation in front of her and hoped he would hurry.

Cat put her hand on Tori's arm, and immediately pulled back as if she were burned, "God, Jade, you have to get us out of here."

"Cat, I-"

"Now!"

Just as the wall threatened to collapse, Jade let go of Tori's left arm to grab onto Cat. Tori took the opportunity to push back with more force than Jade could handle, and as their surroundings faded and reappeared, Jade was shoved to the ground and skidded at least twenty feet backward in the grass.

Cat ran to Jade's side and knelt next to her, searching for any injuries, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so," Jade tried to sit up and steady herself with her hands, but fell back to the grass as a searing pain shot through her, "Dammit!"

Cat looked and could see the red, blistering skin on Jade's hands, "Did Tori..."

They both looked up in horror as the ground around Tori erupted in flames. The fire licked up her body and surrounded her. The heat was nearly unbearable to the two. In their seconds of indecision, several trees nearby began to smoke as they seemed to burn from the inside out.

"Ay, dios mío!" A man called out as he appeared through the underbrush with a blue-haired woman in tow. A white mist surrounded Tori as the flames quickly died out. "Don't you think it wise to call me sooner?"

Tori fell to her knees and caught herself with her hands before she fell over entirely. Her breathing was labored and her body was shaking. Jade tried to stand, but Cat held her back.

" _No."_

"We called you as soon as we realized something was wrong," Cat told him.

He shook his head and adjusted the cufflinks on his expensive looking suit, "I warned you this would happen."

Cat fought the urge to distance herself from the negative emotions radiating from Jade, "I know you did. We didn't realize...This wasn't what we expected."

"No matter," Antonio made his way over to Jade and held out his hands to her. As soon as she laid her hands in his, her wounds disappeared, and with it, the physical pain. "I shouldn't have let you two come alone. It was foolish to risk you getting hurt."

"This never happened with me. Yeah he was a little freaked out at first, but nothing like this," Cat sighed as she watched Antonio's companion tend to Tori.

Antonio helped her to her feet, "Jade is a great deal stronger than you. It only makes sense that the reaction would be stronger, no?"

"I guess."

He smiled and tilted her chin up with his finger before turning around to face Tori, "Victoria Vega," he held out his hand and waited patiently as Tori stared at him indecisively for several seconds before allowing him to help her up. He brought her knuckles to his lips and smiled, "It's lovely to meet you, my name is Antonio Baresi."

Jade breathed an unconscious sigh of relief when she saw Tori's anger had dissipated. She squinted at him, "How do you know who I am? And who exactly are you?" She looked around, her brows furrowing deeper, "And where am I?"

"Well, you're somewhere safe, I can assure you that. I'm Jade and Cat's adopted father figure. I know your name because you're Jade's soulmate."

Tori took a step back, "I'm...what?"

"I see you haven't told her much, Jade," the woman called out.

Jade sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, "I didn't exactly have a good opportunity."

Tori then noticed the stretch of torn earth between her and Jade, along with Jade's disheveled appearance, "What happened?"

"Would you say you're an empathetic person, Victoria?" Antonio asked gently.

"I...I mean, yeah I guess so?"

"You take on emotional burdens that aren't your own. You want to help everyone you can, even by just taking their pain away and letting it fall on yourself." She stared at him incredulously. He smiled, "In our world, to our kind," he gestured toward the blue-haired woman, and at his 'daughters', "Soulmates are something real...something raw, something of great importance to us. The person who holds your forever in their hands."

The woman stepped in front of Tori with a disarming smile and an outstretched hand, "Hello, love. My name is Lucia." She nodded toward Jade and Cat, "I'm not their mother of any sort, but I'm Antonio's other half. If I may?"

Tori looked at her hand hesitantly. Nervous, unsure, a little scared. Her emotions mirrored on Jade's face. She looked back to Lucia, "Why?"

She smiled wider, "I just want to shake your hand, love. I already hear your thoughts."

Tori obliged and shook her hand, expecting some sort of jolt of electricity or explosion or some other crazy thing, but receiving none. She felt a strange calm envelop her.

"This is a scary thing to go through, believe me, I've been there. I always thought it would have been so much easier to be tied to a person with lesser abilities, more limitations. And it would be. It would be...so much easier. It's so hard to control sometimes, so many things to learn, so many things to remember. You won't be alone."

Antonio caught her attention again as a solemn expression settled on his face, "I never like telling anyone this, because I have seen...many things in my lifetime. In the interest of fairness, however, I'm obligated to inform you that, should it be necessary, the ties can be severed. It won't be easy or pretty, but if you desire a future of a different sort, that option is available to you."

A hot, heavy mass settled in her stomach as she stared into the eyes of her soulmate. Something inside her knew the only person there who couldn't read her mind was the woman who wanted to more than anything. Jade guarded herself well, but some things she couldn't hide, no matter how hard she tried. Nobody spoke for some time, but the silence was only heard by the two.

"I'm sorry," Jade spoke suddenly, the silence too deafening to stand. She searched Tori's eyes desperately for the answers she didn't have. "I've...I've known for a while. I didn't want you to find out until I knew that...this," she gestured between them as she took a step closer, "Was something you wanted. I never wanted you to feel like you didn't have a choice."

Deep inside her, something screamed at her to get closer. A magnet, drawn to Jade. A rubber band pulled taut. She fought it. She turned her attention toward Antonio, "If I don't want this?"

He looked to Jade, and back to Tori, "I'll break the bond. Lucia could wipe your memories, if you so wish. But you won't have a desire to be close to Jade anymore. Your body and mind won't react to her."

Jade's bottom lip trembled, but she kept her composure. Tori could feel the tension, the fear. Her mind kept returning to the same thought, and she closed her eyes. She couldn't look at Jade.

"Did I ever have a choice?"

Lucia chose to answer for him, "Of course you did, love. There's a predestined bond there, but it's only a seed. Nothing comes of it if you don't want it. Jade knew before, but it never changed anything. She couldn't feel the pull and neither could you. That seed only blossoms if you give it what it needs. You did, and that was your choice."

"I made this happen," Tori spoke as if repeating a phrase in a foreign language.

She smiled, "You both did. No one should ever be forced to love, and you never will be. You'll feel a pull to her but your emotions are your own. Usually, anyway."

"Usually."

"Should you choose to keep Jade in your life," Antonio started, "There's a lot you'll have to learn. Her powers are strong, and because of your bond, her powers start to become your own. Your empathy for others makes you susceptible to a sort of...sponge effect. You must take care to control your emotions, lest you start to absorb the emotions of those around you."

Tori frowned and looked down at the skid mark in the grass, "Is that what happened to me?"

Antonio nodded slowly, "Yes. You were frustrated with these new things you couldn't control, and in going to confront Jade, anger from those around you started to seep into your mind until you were overcome with a blind fury you couldn't contain. Jade tried to prevent you from causing damage to yourself, your surroundings, others. It was..." he glanced at the damage, "Difficult for her."

She took a deep breath, "So if I accept, then what?"

"You're free to do as you wish. You'll have a lot of new power available to you, but Jade will be there to help you. Your friend, Andre, has already accepted his bond with Cat, if you ever want someone to talk to. Of course, my dear Lucia has been in your place, but it's been a great many years. Regardless, the choices are yours to make."

"Speaking of which," Cat finally spoke again and offered a sly wink to Tori, "If you don't mind, I've things to do. Antonio, Lucia, shall we?"

Tori noted Cat's accent slipping through for a short moment. Antonio and Lucia bid their farewells, and the three disappeared. Jade cautiously took a few steps closer, and closed the distance when Tori didn't object. As much as she wanted to touch her, she kept her hands at her sides, "Just...tell me, okay? Tell me if this isn't what you want. I'll be gone and you'll never have to worry about any of this again. Just tell me what you want and it's yours."

Tori stared silently back at her, her eyebrows twitched, and she almost laughed, "What I want? I had dreams of being swept off my feet, you know? Cheesy, romantic dates, old-fashioned courting, falling in love on my own terms. I was falling for you, you know."

Jade smiled and nodded, "Well, I've been around a while, and I'd say I know the rules of old-fashioned courting fairly well."

"Exactly how old are you?"

"Oh, you know," Jade smirked and winked at her, "Couple years older than you."

Tori took a bold step closer, the pull stronger than ever before, but she held her ground, "I want a number."

She nodded, "276."

Her eyebrows raised, "Really? So you're immortal?"

"Theoretically...yes," Jade replied hesitantly. At Tori's curious look, she continued, "I've chosen to not age."

"So...if I said I wanted to grow old with you?"

"Anything you want. I'll live forever by your side, if you wish, or I'll die by your side. Or...you know, the alternatives."

She shook her head, "Forget those. Win my heart like you would've done two hundred and fifty years ago. Win my heart and it's yours."

Jade gave her an uncharacteristic, almost childlike smile, full of happiness and hope, "It'd be my pleasure."

Tori held out her hand, "Come on, then. We should get to class."

"If I may," Jade took her hand and made her thoughts clear, "I just wanted you to know you're hot when you're angry," she paused to look down at the burnt ground around Tori's feet, "Literally."

Tori rolled her eyes with a smile on her face and leaned forward to kiss Jade's cheek, "Work on that smooth talk, Romeo."

* * *

 **Tori's POV**

I wiped at my eyes as I grabbed my books for my first classes out of my locker. I frowned at my reflection in the mirror, noting the dark circles under my eyes. I always hated when Trina landed auditions. It always led to a sleepless night full of _loud_ rehearsals. Of course, her lack of sleep made us late leaving the house, so I didn't even have an opportunity to grab a coffee before coming in. I was just hoping to maybe get a nap during first period.

I closed my locker, only to be met with my favorite blue eyes and the mischievous smirk of my soulmate. After the showdown in the forest, of which I never ended up learning the location of, things changed between Jade and I. It'd only been two weeks, but her fascination with everything about me never lessened. She still asked questions just to hear me talk, she'd invite me to take late night walks with her, and answer all of my questions. She'd shown up at my door precisely when promised, well dressed, flowers in hand three nights in the past two weeks. Growing closer to her felt so natural, though she always reminded me it was my choice.

"I'll trade you," she offered, her hand outstretched for my books. I obliged and handed to them her, as she procured a cup of coffee from behind her back and gave it to me.

I sighed and tasted the hot drink, "Thank you, I really needed this."

"I know," she winked and held out her free hand, which I gladly accepted.

She always let me start any conversations about powers in an effort to keep things as normal as possible. I was quickly able to learn how to control the powers I had on my own, and as long as I was close enough to Jade when we were together, she kept everything else in check so I never had to worry about it. It still amazed me how in tune I was with her emotions, as she was for mine. It was a breath of fresh air, not having to worry and wonder about what she was thinking or what she wanted.

She still struggled to read my mind without touching me, and always asked permission if that was her intention. Sometimes I got annoyed at her hesitation or carefulness, more so when she reminded me that it was my choice.

A week later it finally sunk in that perhaps our definitions of 'old-fashioned courting' might be a little different. Late Friday night, sitting in her car in my driveway after our fifth date, she pulled away from a kiss, again, just as I wanted more.

I groaned loudly and bowed my head, "Okay, talk to me. What's the deal?"

"The deal?" I looked up to see her trademark cocked eyebrow, "You said this is what you wanted."

I frowned, "Jade, you _hear_ my thoughts. You _know_ this isn't what I meant."

Jade smiled and shook her head, "I'm not going to assume or make choices for you."

"You aren't _assuming_ anything," I grabbed ahold of either side of her opened leather jacket and pulled her closer, "I'm telling you that I want you."

She subconsciously licked her lips as her eyes darted down to mine. Her control was slipping. She couldn't hear me and I couldn't hear her, but I could feel it. I felt her hand on the back of my neck and she never asked permission. Her eyes met mine again and I smiled before closing the distance between us. It only took a few seconds before I knew we weren't in her car anymore. I didn't open my eyes as she pushed me backward until I felt the bed against the backs of my legs. I kept her right there with me as I fell back onto my bed and she didn't try to pull away.

Her thoughts were a jumbled mess of telling herself no and telling herself yes. I silently begged her not to say no, but she pulled away anyway. I sighed and stubbornly pulled at her shirt, "Come on, Jade. You want this too, I can hear you."

She grabbed my hands and held them against my stomach, "Don't tell me things I already know. It's not right."

"To hell with it! I don't care what I said before!" I shouted as I forgot where we were.

"Shh," she hushed me quickly as she glanced toward the door, "You aren't in the right mind to make that choice right now."

I rolled my eyes, "What, so now you're choosing for me?"

Her eyes widened and she shook her head, "No, absolutely not, I just-"

"I'm saying _yes_ , why isn't that enough for you?"

Just then, I heard a knock on my door, and a second later, it opened and my dad popped his head in, "Everything alright, sweetheart?"

He looked around the room to find whoever had the audacity to sneak into my room, but Jade was gone. I rubbed my hands together and tried to ignore the cold I felt without her, "Yeah, sorry, just talking to myself."

He raised an eyebrow, "Interesting excuse. Are you sure no one's...in the closet, or under the bed?"

I scoffed. _Go ahead and check, I'd like to know, too._ "Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

"If you say so, just remember the rules. No boys after 10pm."

"Yep, I remember, dad, thanks."

He smiled and nodded, "Alright, goodnight sweetie."

"Night, dad."

He closed the door and I sighed deeply as I rubbed my face. I sat up and went to stand up when I felt her presence again. I opened my eyes to see her standing in front of me. She held out her hands and helped me up, "Your parents don't even know about us."

"I...haven't found the right opportunity," I replied lamely.

"I'm staying out of your pants until your parents know my name." I rolled my eyes. _Yeah, well, if this ended the way I wanted it to, they'd figure it out pretty quick._ Her smirk reminded me that she knew exactly what I was thinking. " _Prior_ to anything happening. That's my one condition. Until then, I'm saying no."

I frowned, "There's something else."

Her mind was far too hectic for me to figure out what she was thinking. She pursed her lips and tried to sort through everything before finally relenting, "I can't seem to maintain any kind of control with you. Just a moment ago you were _really_ hot, and I mean that literally. I'm a little afraid you're going to accidentally set something on fire."

"Is that just a thing with me?" I replied, exasperated. I lowered my voice, remembering where we were, "I'm just a pyromaniac or something?"

"Your body temperature can be hard to control when you're emotional. You'll figure it out eventually."

I tilted my head, "So what happens when _you_ get emotional?"

"When I'm aroused, you mean?" I nodded slowly, and she shrugged, "I guess you'll figure it out later."

"Later?" I didn't try to mask my excitement.

" _After_ you introduce me to your parents."

I tried to pull her close one more time, "I changed my mind on that old-fashioned thing."

She gave me one chaste kiss before stepping away, "I haven't."

And then she was gone.

* * *

 **A/N: I've been struggling to continue the stories I've left unfinished over the past several weeks, and this story is probably going to find its end first. I have ideas on what I want to do with it but if anyone has suggestions on what they'd like to see, let me know. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Limits

**Disclaimer: Victorious and all of its associated copyrights are not my property and I stake no claim to them.**

* * *

"So where did you go?" Jade raised an eyebrow and I clarified, "When my dad came into my room, you disappeared."

She shrugged, "Outside."

"He asked if there was anyone hiding in the closet. Like, no, just me in there."

"Do you worry it won't go well?"

"A little bit," I sighed and sat down on the couch next to her, " _Somehow_ , Trina hasn't even noticed. It's not like anyone's been quiet about it."

Jade laughed and laid her arm over the back of the couch behind me, "She's noticed, she just hasn't said anything."

I frowned, "Why not?"

"She's saving it in case she needs to blackmail you."

"Right, of course she is. How do you know?"

"I've started to be able to read minds telepathically, if I'm close to you, anyway. I can't do it without you, but when you're holding my hand or something and I focus on them, I can hear them, if a little faint. It's louder if their attention is on me, too."

I folded my leg under myself and turned to face her, "There's something I wanted to ask you."

She smiled a little, "Okay."

"Why'd you come here? Not to my house, just to LA."

"To find you." She quickly realized that answer wasn't enough, "Cat and I realized our soulmates were in the same place, and when we did, we decided to come find you. We didn't feel that pull, it was more of like...how a compass knows which way is north."

I tilted my head, "So you came here with the intention of finding me and winning me over?"

"We figured out which school to go to, which was a big help, but honestly, until we walked through that door the first day, neither of us knew what we were looking for. It was only when I saw you that I knew. Yes, I had every intention of trying to win you over, but I never wanted you to feel forced." She moved her hand away from me, "You were just...I don't know. You're fascinating to me. I've known people who hated the person that turned out to be their soulmate, and I was a little afraid of that. I was so happy to know there was a genuine attraction there."

I moved a little closer to remind her that I wanted to be there, "So do you only get one shot at a soulmate?"

Jade nodded, "As far as I know, yeah. It's fairly common for people who didn't click with their soulmate or haven't found them to marry other people like us, since it's possible to create a bond on your own."

"So you waited some two-hundred-seventy years for me?"

She smiled and shrugged, "Yeah, I guess I did."

"Was it worth it?"

Her smile widened and she leaned forward to kiss me, "Absolutely."

Much to my annoyance, she pulled back just as I tried to deepen the kiss, "Seriously?"

She glanced back toward the door, "Your parents are home," then back at me with the cutest look of uncertainty, "Should I go?"

"No," I held her hand tightly between my own and she didn't bother hiding her excitement, "I just won't tell them _everything_ quite yet."

"You're sure?"

I nodded and smiled, "Yeah, I mean, if I'm spending the rest of my life with you, may as well let my parents know."

Behind her, the door opened and my mom walked in, fumbling with her purse, "Hey, honey. We brought back some dinner, hope you're hungry." She finally looked up as she was walking past and smiled, "You didn't say you had a friend over."

"Yeah, sorry, I meant to text you but I forgot."

"Well, feel free to stay and eat with us. Trina said she's going to be back late, so there's some extra."

My dad walked in a moment later and immediately noticed what my mom hadn't. He glanced at our hands before walking to the kitchen to set the food down, "So I take this to mean I don't have to worry about boys sneaking into your room anymore?"

My mom gave him a strange look, and he pointed back at us. She raised her eyebrows, "Tori?"

I stood up with Jade and held her hand as I walked over to the table, "I figured it was time you guys met the person I'm dating. Mom, dad, this is Jade. Jade, these are my parents."

"It's lovely to finally meet you two," Jade said to them in a flawless English accent, which caught me a little off guard. I glanced over at her, but she didn't react.

My dad reached out to shake her hand as he looked at her curiously, "You too, Jade. Are you an exchange student?"

"No, my family moved here a few months ago from England."

"Won't you join us for dinner? I'd love to get to know you," my mom told her as she removed several to-go containers from two plastic bags.

She let go of my hand as her hand moved to my lower back, "Are you sure? I don't want to intrude."

"It'd be a relief," my dad nudged her as he set four plates on the table, "Tori can be pretty boring on her own."

I smacked his arm, "Hey!"

"I don't know, she's pretty fascinating to me," Jade smiled over at me.

I had to admit, Jade was a fantastic liar. She spun the same story she gave us when she and Cat first joined Hollywood Arts, complete with details and memories that reminded me it _was_ where she came from. Never once did she drop the accent even for a moment, and I could tell my parents adored her. With her impeccable manners and social tact, it was hard not to.

It was almost ten by the time my parents let her leave, and I held onto her jacket as I pressed her up against her car, "That went way better than expected."

She dropped the accent once confirming we were alone, "I think they like me."

"Are you kidding? They love you!" I leaned up and kissed her jaw, "That was a sexy accent, by the way."

"It felt nice; nostalgic. Reminded me of home."

"Where are you actually from, anyway?"

I felt her hands move to my waist, "Denmark. We lived in England for several decades, though."

I wrapped my arms around her underneath her jacket, "Are you gonna come up later?"

Jade smiled and shook her head, "I don't know."

"Please?" I looked up at her with the best puppy dog eyes I could muster.

"Stop it," she whispered as she closed her eyes, "I'm not ready."

I frowned, "You met my parents, that was your condition, wasn't it?"

"Was that the only reason you let me meet them?" I paused as I felt her tense up. Her eyes met mine again and I knew she heard my thoughts. She moved my hands and gently pushed me backward.

"What's the problem?" I asked as she crossed her arms.

She shook her head, "I...I thought it was because you were serious about this...us, too. Not just because you wanted-"

"I thought we both wanted this!"

Jade sighed and reached behind herself for the door handle, "Goodnight, Tori."

"Jade, wait!" I tried to grab her arm as she got in the car, but she shook me off.

She wouldn't look at me as she started the car, and as she drove off, I felt a tug on my heart.

* * *

"Hey, I lost my notes for the-" Beck stopped mid sentence as he leaned on the lockers next to mine and evaluated my appearance, "You look a little...rough."

"Thanks," I muttered dryly, slamming my locker shut and walking off to my first class.

He jogged after me in order to keep up, "I didn't mean it in a bad way! You doing alright?"

I shouldered open the door and deposited myself into a seat, "Yeah, just a long weekend."

"You wanna talk about it?" He asked gently as he sat backwards in his chair to face me.

I shook my head and ran my fingers through my hair, "Had a fight with Jade on Saturday night."

He frowned, "Ouch, everything okay?"

"Yeah, we'll be fine, I think. She's just mad at me right now and isn't really interested in talking."

"My experience has always told me it's a good idea to let your girl cool off a little before you attempt any damage control. Though, that could just be me and my way of gloriously screwing up whatever I try to say," he smiled and reached out to put his hand comfortingly on my knee, "I wouldn't worry too much. I doubt there's a lot you could do that would scare her off."

I scoffed, "You'd be surprised."

"Really, as an outsider looking in; she's got it bad for you. Probably just said the wrong thing or something. Figure out what you did wrong, apologize, then fix it." Beck checked his watch and shook his head, "That was always my problem, you know? I'd apologize, then do the exact same thing over again."

A moment later, Cat and Andre walked in the room. Cat eyed me, and Beck's hand on my leg, suspiciously, before I made it clear what was going on. While Andre sat down, Cat nodded toward the door. I obliged without a second thought and grabbed my bag before following her. She led me out of the main entrance toward the parking lot. She stopped near a picnic table and hopped up on it, patting the table next to her.

I dropped my bag on the table and sat down, "What's up?"

"I figured since Jade wasn't up for it, I'd take it upon myself to talk to you about what happened on Saturday," she clasped her hands together and looked over at me, "May I start with reminding you she grew up in 18th-century Denmark?"

"I know that."

Her eyebrows furrowed as she focused on her hands, "When she was a girl, everything had...rules. You know, there was an attraction, courting, marriage, kids, then you die. That's all there really was to life. It was illegal to have premarital sex, some people were even executed for it. It's only been recently, the past hundred years or so, that those things became less...taboo.

"I remember back in the fifties and sixties when she really started to become interested in more...sort of promiscuous behavior, I suppose. No soulmate, no real purpose in life, so you know, why not? Neither of us ever shied away from those sorts of things, especially after they became more common, despite how we grew up. I'm sure these are all things you've seen or heard in her thoughts by now."

I leaned back on my hands, "She doesn't often think of past lovers, no."

"Not exactly what I meant. What I'm trying to say is that...no, she doesn't have any problem with casual sex. But you know, that's just the thing. You're her soulmate. Casual sex isn't exactly an option." She smiled off into the distance, "She was so happy when you told her you wanted things the old-fashioned way. She was so worried that you'd be the type to not really take things slow, cause she wanted to do things right, you know? She wanted to take you on cheesy dates and take long walks on the beach and kiss under the stars. It's all extremely sappy, but I've always wanted the same thing, and Andre knows that. She didn't think she had to lay out those conditions for you, since she _thought_ you guys were on the same page."

I turned to face her, "Okay, so...how do I fix this?"

"Honestly?" I nodded, "Just talk to her. She's hard to crack sometimes, but I suppose you've got forever to figure her out."

"Yeah, I guess I do. Where is she?"

Cat shrugged and glanced at her phone, "I'm not sure. She left Saturday night after talking to me, but never mentioned where she was going."

"You're not worried?"

She shook her head, "Worried? No, not at all. I was a little miffed the one time she disappeared for two and a half years, but you know, it's in the past. She can't stay gone for long, especially since you've started to build up that connection. She probably just wanted some time alone to think."

I sighed, "I don't suppose you have any way to contact her."

"She hasn't caught up with current trends quite yet, so no. Maybe you could talk her into a phone someday, hey?"

"Yeah, maybe."

Cat leaned over to give me a hug before hopping down, "Seriously, there's no need to worry. She adores you, you know that?"

I smiled at her, "The feeling's mutual."

"Come on, let's get back to class."

* * *

Later on that night, as I was lounging on the living room couch reading a book for English class, there was a knock on the door. I easily welcomed the distraction and hopped up to open the door. I smiled when I saw Jade on the porch and opened the door wider for her as I turned back to toss the book down on the table.

"Am I interrupting something?" She asked as she glanced at the book.

I scoffed, "I've had enough of Hamlet for today."

She frowned and picked up the book to flip through the pages, "Really? I liked it."

"You just like where it takes place."

"Not true at all."

"It's part of the reason."

She laid the book down on the table, "It _is_ part of the reason. A small part, but a part nonetheless."

I hesitantly stepped closer to her, "So..."

She held her hand out to me, "Do you want to go for a walk?"

I took her hand and fully expected the nearly immediate change in scenery. I looked over at her, "What if I wanted my shoes?"

"That's unfortunate," she smiled back.

"You know," I kicked at the sand as we walked along the coast, "You _do_ have a car."

"Does it bother you?"

"No, not really."

We walked along the desolate beach for several minutes before Jade finally broke the silence, "I heard you talked to Cat."

I nodded, "Yeah, we talked this morning."

"I wasn't really sure how I was going to tell you everything, so it was kind of a relief. I was afraid I'd say the wrong thing."

"I should have just listened when you said no, I'm sorry."

She quickly shook her head, "No, I should have been clearer from the start. I thought getting you to let me meet your parents would have been a larger hurdle than it actually was."

"For what it's worth," I stopped walking and turned toward her, "I know my thoughts were a little misleading then, but it honestly wasn't the only reason."

She stopped as well and let go of my hand, "I know now. Your mind definitely has a way of only really focusing on _one_ thing."

I sat down in the sand and she followed suit, "I am serious about us, you know. I just haven't had hundreds of years to temper my own desires."

"I have been thinking about this...predicament we've found ourselves in. I understand relationships are about communication and compromise, and there is quite clearly a large part of both of us that believes strongly in our own side of the argument. That said, I have an offer for you."

I turned to face her and nodded, "Okay. What did you come up with?"

She licked her lips and looked up at me from where she was intensely studying the sand, "Six months."

I raised an eyebrow, "Six months? Six months from when we met or-"

"Six months from our first date," she quickly corrected.

Several seconds of silence followed as we stared at each other. Six months from our first date, so still another five months. I wanted to say no, but it wasn't exactly my choice anymore. She wasn't giving me an option, she was giving me a time frame.

Jade spoke again as I was lost in thought, "In that time, we can work on giving you more control over your emotions, and subsequently, your body temperature. I don't know about you, but third-degree burns are kind of a mood killer for me."

I turned my attention back to her, "That freak out I had just before we started dating, you know the one that led to me bursting into flames like what's-his-face from that one superhero movie?" She smirked and nodded, "I burned you?"

"Yeah, I didn't actually notice until I tried to sit up and felt this excruciating pain in my hands. It makes sense though, as hot as your body was at that time."

"Are you saying my body isn't hot any other time?" I teased.

She sighed and shook her head, "You know what, that's exactly what I'm saying."

I stared at her guarded eyes and wondered if I had gone too far. The harmless teasing wasn't anything new for us, but maybe she had gotten tired of it? I was about to apologize when she smiled at me.

"It's not fair, calling you that. If I did, I may as well say there's a bit of sand on the beach, or just a couple drops of water in the ocean. Oh, there's a handful of stars in the sky and a few people in the world. Sure, it's true, but a gross understatement."

I pulled her into a kiss before she could see the ridiculously goofy smile I undoubtedly had on my face. Hearing her thoughts was always an exciting thing, despite the numerous times I'd experienced it before. There was something deeply satisfying about having such a certainty that she was just as attracted to me as I was to her.

I was entirely in her lap by the time things began to heat up – literally and figuratively.

"Tori," she muttered against my lips, "Tori, please, mmph-" she finally turned her head to force us both to stop. She didn't make me move, but she had to take a moment to breathe before she could speak again, "Just over five months, okay? Can you give me that much?"

I tilted her head back up to face me with a finger on her chin, "If I say yes, can I keep kissing you?"

"Tori," she sighed when I wouldn't let her look away. Her eyes met mine and I could begin to feel what she felt – fear. "This... this isn't a new experience for me, but I need you to understand where I'm coming from, okay?"

I smiled and ran my fingers through her hair, "Talk to me. Help me understand."

Jade stopped to get her thoughts together before she spoke, "There's a dangerous cycle with soulmates that we both need to keep in mind. As we get closer, emotionally and physically, we both get stronger. Not only that, but we feed off of each other, too. Being close to you makes me stronger, which makes you stronger, which makes me stronger, and that cycle never really stops. It's slow and subtle but it's always there."

"Why does that scare you?"

"There's always a certain amount of control that's lost in intimacy. I'm afraid one of us may do something of negative consequence."

I kept one hand tangled in her hair as I moved the other to trace down her jawline, "How about...we practice?" She looked back at me, uncertain. "See how far we can go before you feel it slipping, and we stop. Try a little further the next day, and the next, and so on."

"Is this a ploy to get me into your bed faster?"

"You've been in my bed," I reminded her. I gave her a slow, chaste kiss and pulled back, "This is just an effort to make you more comfortable with me."

She stared at me silently, and I knew she could hear my thoughts. I struggled to keep my mind off of what I wanted and prove to her I was willing to wait for her. I wanted her so badly, but I wasn't about to force her.

"I want to do this right," she finally said quietly. "We have no reason to rush into anything. I know you're ready and you don't see a reason to wait, but-"

I stopped her there, "Jade, it's okay. You want to wait, I respect that. I just want to be close to you." I paused and leaned my forehead against hers, "I don't know, it just feels like I can breathe easier when I'm with you."

For the first time, I heard the faintest whisper of a voice in my head without feeling her lips on mine. The words were indecipherable, like a muffled conversation behind a closed door, but I knew the thoughts were hers. I opened my eyes and she gazed back at me with an easy smile. I held her head in my hands and sighed deeply.

A strong gust of wind reminded us the sun had long set and I shivered as the cool air hit me. Only a moment later, I found myself back in my living room. Behind me, Jade sat comfortably on the couch with my book in her hands. I rubbed my face with my hands and tried not to dwell on the mental whiplash she gave me.

"I really do love this book," she closed it and studied the cover, "I suppose it is a little before your time."

I sat next to her and snuggled into her side, "You make yourself sound old as dirt."

She laughed and wrapped her arm around me, "Well, I do have over two and a half centuries on you."

"And here you are dating a kid."

"You're eighteen, that's practically a midlife crisis from my time."

I tilted my head to look at her, "How old were you when you stopped aging?"

My eyes were quickly drawn to her lips as she bit the bottom one in thought, "I believe I was...twenty-two."

"So you're still older than me," I replied as I tried to stay on topic.

She shrugged, "Physically, I'm the same now as I was at eighteen. Besides a few different style choices."

"I can't imagine they had leather jackets back then."

"They certainly wouldn't have been in style if they had. Things like leather and denim, at the time of their creation, were seen as 'lower class' items."

I ran my fingers up and down her denim-clad thigh, "And you were high class?"

"Not exactly," she reached out with her free hand to hold mine against her leg, "I was born into a poor family, but obviously Antonio had a bit more going for him at the time."

"So you were born, not made?" I asked curiously.

"Yes and no. I was born as normal as you were before you met me. Later on in my life was when Antonio found me and gave me my powers."

My brows furrowed, "Is that how Cat got hers?"

"No, Cat was created by someone else. Antonio is a first generation Super, so he's the strongest kind there is. I'm a second generation, since I was directly created by a first generation being, does that make sense?" I nodded and she continued, "Cat is third generation, created by a second generation, which is why her powers are more limited. The pool keeps diluting until there's only a hint of the magic left. Beyond fourth generation, powers just get weaker, rather than having limitations."

"That sounds complicated."

"It's not, I'm just bad at explanations."

I yawned as another sleepless night started to catch up to me. I had no desire for the night to end, and attempted to continue the conversation, "So if Cat is third generation, what's fourth?"

She hesitated, no doubt fighting the urge to tell me to go to bed, then answered, "Third generations are telepathic; their powers are limited by the mind. The other bit about them is that their powers are either physical or mental, and Cat's are mental. Someone with physical abilities can't read minds or project emotions, rather just interact with the world around them. Strength, speed, telekinesis, those sorts of things. Fourth generations are the same, but their powers require some sort of contact, so they're significantly weaker in regards to affecting the world around them."

I held her hand between mine, "So Antonio, being first generation, can do the same things you can, but telepathically?"

"You got it. It's not as complicated as it sounds, honestly."

"I guess it isn't," I relented.

She looked over at me, "If I asked you to go to bed, would you?"

I frowned, "I don't want you to leave."

"Would you if I stayed a while longer?"

"Lay with me?"

She easily slipped out of my grasp and stood up, her hand extended out to me. I took her hand and stood up. "Go on and get ready for bed."

I narrowed my eyes at her skeptically, and she raised a brow in response. After a silent staring contest, I decided to trust her and gave her a quick kiss before heading upstairs.

Less than ten minutes later, I entered my room to find her sitting on the chair at my desk. I made myself comfortable in bed before asking her, "Am I gonna have to beg?"

"Well..."

"Jade."

She smiled and feigned annoyance as she stood up and walked over to my bed. She kicked off her boots and laid her jacket over the back of the chair, "Are you going to behave?"

I groaned and grabbed her arm to pull her down onto the bed, "I already promised you I would, now shut up and cuddle with me."

Jade laughed and made herself comfortable next to me, though on top of the blankets. While not quite what I wanted, I took what I could get and held her close. I laid my head on her shoulder and sighed happily.

"You're gonna be the death of me," she muttered before kissing my forehead.

I smiled and just snuggled closer.

* * *

 **A/N: Still not totally sure if an M rated chapter is in store for this one. There's build up to it but I'm not certain if there's an audience for that, so let me know either way what you think! Hope you guys enjoyed.**


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